Do you really need a note taking system?

Have you ever read a book, especially non-fiction and used a highlighter for the most important points?

Or have you ever frantically written notes when listening to a lecture, especially if you don’t know shorthand?

Often times I’ve found myself in simialr situations.

I like reading good books. I’ve found that the use of drawn out symbols can aid you getting the most out of the information you’ve read.

Or even if you’re not reading and are just listening to a teacher or public speaker will give you an outline. Using drawings can be very valuable for getting the most out of application notes.

Get A Note Taking System Utilzing Symbols

It is important to have a system down when taking notes and the use of symbols is a great way to get organized.

When you have a good system in place you can scan your notes later and apply them to your life and business more adequately.

That’s why I wrote this article. It provides a good system for taking notes through the use of drawin out symbols.

John Maxwell talks about using symbols when he takes notes in his recent book called How Successful People Think.

Which Symbols Does John Maxwell Use When Taking Notes or Reading a book?

That was my question and instead of jotting down notes I actually  jotted down the symbols he uses.

Here they are:

• An arrow pointing up means to look at this material again
• An asterisk next to a section means to file according to subject noted
• An open Bracket means to use what’s marked in one of my own speaking engagements or in one of my future articles.
• An arrow pointing up  means that this ideas will take off if I look at it.

Here’s a diagram I made with the drawings on it. You’re welcome to download if it helps you to remember the symbols. Just right-click on the image and save it to your desktop.

I also found some symbols for taking notes from Michael Hyatt, the chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The following information is taken from http://michaelhyatt.com/recovering-the-lost-art-of-note-taking.html

Michael Hyatt writes,

I indent my notes from the left edge of the paper about half an inch. This allows me to put my symbols in the left margin. I use four:

• If an item is particularly important or insightful, I put a star next to it.
• If an item requires further research or resolution, I put a question mark next to it.
• If an item requires follow-up, I put a ballot box (open square) next to it. When the item is completed, I check it off.
• If I have assigned a follow-up item to someone, I put an open circle next to it (similar to the ballot box but a circle rather than a square). In the notes, I indicate who is responsible. When the item is completed, I check it off.

Here’s a slide he uses when he teaches this method:

Did you take notes or at least jot down the symbols when reading this article?

This Note Taking System is one of the tools for success in my personal growth journey to real life success.

Use the sign-up form on this website to get emails that will give you a step-by-step guide to personal growth.

There’s no need to worry about the mystical, weird,self-centered-self-help mumbo jumbo. I don’t promote the man is god, anti-christian emphasis that some personal growth websites promote. See my Site Disclaimer and About  page for more information.

I would appreciate your comment below and if you have another symbol or set of symbols that you use and would like to share I’m sure my readers would love to know about them.

It takes time to prosper.

Real Life Success is not usually a fast process.

I’ve been writing about How To Get Everything You Touch (& Do) To Prosper.

That’s because for the last year or so I’ve been captivated by a few verses in the Bible….

In Psalms 1:1-6  the Bible says that “everything you do will prosper”.

I love Psalms 1 and have even written about it at www.successlikeatree.com.

Verse 3 really captures my attention:

         He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Look at these verses in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 that talk about blessing everything you put your hands to:

¹ “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. ² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

⁸ “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

¹² The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.

Does the Bible really mean that “whatever I touch and do will prosper”?

If so, How do I get that type of prosperity to happen in my life?

Let’s cross-reference Jeremiah 17:7-8 here as it is the exact same subject – same imagery even.

⁷ “ Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.
⁸ For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
   Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Prosperity is Like a Tree

You Can Touch a Flower but You Can’t Stand Under Its Shadow

 Notice God didn’t say it was a flower or a bush.  It’s a tree.

God is blessing the work of your hand

The only difference between a man who is a success and a man who failed is that one of them stopped trying.

Anyone can come up with a goal, but not everyone has the ability to acheieve it.

We all need a little help getting motivated, taking action and staying focused.

I have a free pdf that I want to give you. Take a few minutes and read the 77 tips to help you keep-on-keeping-on.

This pdf is broken upinto 3 categories:

• Focus
• Motivation
• Action

Sometimes I fall victim to a lack of focus and moivation, no matter what I do. That’s why I found this resource helpful. There are some simple tips and pieces of advice in this PDF that’ll help you progress.

Click on the follwing link to download 77 Ways To Get Motiviated, Stay Focused & Take Action:

FocusMotivationAction

Left click to preview the pdf. This resource requires a pdf view such as adobe reader. Once you have a pdf reader,right click and choose “save as” to download it.

Disclaimer: I didn’t write this resource but found most every tip to be helpful.  See my site disclaimer for information about my faith and affiliate polices. I do not make any money from the above report. I hope you find it helpful and enjoyable.

“My life is full of real life success stories”

As a struggling missionary there was a time when I didn’t consider the above statement to be true.

I didn’t consider myself to be prosperous.

Today, we’re often amazed at how God blesses everything we lay our hands to.

What a blessing to be in such a place where we are no longer just sowing seeds but we’re actually setting under the tree watching the fruit fall off  for us to administrate wisely.

Our family is blessed beyond measure with finances, health , and unity. Our friends and close acquaintances love us and respect us. Our ministry is thriving as nationals practicality beg us to consider giving them a spiritual covering so they can start new churches

The real life success stories go on and on.

Blessings are not the exception they are the norm. I’m not saying that I’m exempt from problems but our family does have a lot to give thanks to God for.

It hasn’t always been this way.

So what’s my secret?

Our Real Life Success Story

In my last article I gave some preliminary thoughts and some action steps on How To Get Everything You Touch (& Do) To Prosper.  Be sure and read this valuable information because you’ll see how prosperity and blessings and real life success are synonymous words

Today I want to give you a personal testimony about my learning experience and our real life success story

Please allow my to balance off this testimony by telling you that prosperity is not just about money. I’m a prosperous person because of my faith in God, my family life, my health and of course we do have many material possessions in which to count our blessings.

In my coming articles I’ll give you some actual tips and step by step information I’ve used to obtaining Real Life Success or Godly Prosperity.

Our Adoption Lesson

We wanted children.

Children are a sign of prosperity. Psalm 127:3  actually calls them a reward.

My wife and I had been trying to have children for years but after going through fertility treatments we gave up on giving birth to a child. I told my wife that God would give us a child and it actually happened.

While in Mexico, In the year 2000, we were handed a beautiful baby daughter in a matter of days without even going through legal paperwork.

What a blessing. We have always thanked God for our daughter, Cristi and have never doubted God’s providence in becoming parents to such a wonderful child.

Problems are a natural part of real life success stories (they’re opportunities in disguise).

There was one small problem. When we were handed the 3 month year old baby girl  she didn’t have a birth certificate. We first thought that we would just register her as our own since we could easily do this in a foreign Country. However, after careful consideration, we discovered that we would have to tell a series of lies to falsify papers.

Real Life Success stories are achieved though adoption processes

I’m not a good liar because that would be trusting in myself and not trusting in God so that option was ruled out very quickly. Even though we already had the little baby in our custody we decided to go through a legal adoption in the Country of Mexico.

Real life  success stories  are achieved through perseverance

This proved to be a very long ordeal. It cost us a lot of money, a lot of inconveniences (we couldn’t travel to the USA as a family) and a lot of stress. However. we never gave up hope and we persevered through the legal red tape until we finally overcame the ordeal setting a landmark example of the right way to adopt in a country where legal adoptions was once unheard of.

After 10 years we were finally rewarded with a legal adoption of our daughter, Cristi.

Missionaries are supposed to be poor.

That is what everyone told me when I chose to become a missionary in 1987. The problem is. I believed them. After struggling financially for years and accumulating over $85,000 of credit card debt I decided it was time to leave my “poor missionary” mentality behind.

In December of 2007, I made the decision that if I had more money I could actually do more for God as a missionary. Up until that time I had raised up 4 churches but had aspirations to raise up hundreds of churches.

I was heavily criticized by fellow Christians when I boldly proclaimed What I would  do if I  had a million dollars?

Once the criticism began rolling in, I knew I was on the right track because success does not come without opposition.

I decided to change my mentality and lifestyle from that of receiving to that of giving.

I used to look at people with money and hope they would give me a large donation. I decided to start making large contributions into  the lives and pocketbooks of others.

I read  and applied Luke 6:38 to my lifestyle:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

My real life success story started when I began to live to give and give to live.

Read this article on How to Find Blessing in an Economic Recession for more principles that I learned.

I began to apply these 12 rules about money to my life:

1. Give your tithe to God. Malaquías 3:8-12
2. Give a tithe to Yourself - 10% for investments
3. Give your first fruits to God – In 2009 I gave all of my first paycheck or income to God
4. Control what you spend, spend less tan you make
5. multiply -gain interest, don’t borrow
6. It’s better not to lend to friends- you risk loosing your friend
7. Be wise in your investments be informed before you invest
   
8. Own you own home or land- pay off your mortgage
9.  Prepare for the future – Save Money
10. Grow in your abilities through education read, get a mentor, never stop learning
11. Don’t be 50-50 partners in business with anybody- you be the leader
12. Give a tithe of the tithe

How I got out of debt

By applying the above rules for my life I not only gave to countless ministries and individuals but I also became debt free  in less than two years time.

I stated that I owed over $85,000.  Most of that debt was in credit card debt. I paid that debt off using a simple method shown in this video at http://www.successhisway.com/how-to-pay-off-your-debts.

I owed several banks. Here’s what I did to pay off my debts:

• I chose the loan with the smallest amount and began paying as much as i possibly coud on that debt.
• I didn’t pay attention to interest rates as I was only concerned with wiping out the debt that I owed the least amount to.
• I paid the minimum on the other debts for the time being
• Once I paid off the smallest debt I then concentrated on the next debt with the smallest amount owed
• I used all of the money I was paying on the previous debt and applied it to this debt.
• I continued this snowball effect until I had paid off all my debt.

I became known as a giver

I read books, I listened to messages and most of all I put my knowledge into practice. I gave away everything that I could possibly think of.

I gave finances, I gave material possessions, I gave away my time, and I gave my all to every project I entered into.

My financial state had definitely turned around.  I didn’t owe anyone I became the lender and not the borrower. Not only had my finances turned around but something else had happened….

Our ministry exploded and we began giving a spiritual covering to hundreds of churches.Our ministry actually began planting new churches on a monthly basis.

But that it didn’t stop there. I wanted God To bless everything I touched.  I still had a house for sale.  We still couldn’t leave Mexico as a family because we didn’t have a visa for my daughter and most of all I knew that there was more. I was searching for God’s best. …

Read about the day I missed the Bus

In the next part of this message you read about the day I became fed up.  I’ll continue my testimony and I’ll let you know why I don’t ever have to ask God For money. I ask him for something else…

Sign up for my email messages using the form below so you don’t miss it.

What do you think of my real life success story so far? I welcome your comments below.

If a person has all the wealth in the world but doesn’t have the health to enjoy it, is he truly successful?

If  all you care about is “chasing a dream”  a dream but have no one you care about who will you share your accomplishments with?

If no one cares about you will anyone really appreciate you once you have become successful?

True Success is:

• having your health to enjoy your wealth
• Caring enough for those around you that your willing to invest your time, money and talents in them.
• having others who care about you  and not just your money, position or possessions
• laying your life down for others

Watch this inspirational video as a reminder to “care for those that care for you”.  We all need to step back from chasing the prize every now and then and appreciate those around us:

This story particularly reminds me of the love of our Father in Heaven who actually didn’t give his own blood to save his child. Instead God the Father sacrificed the life of his most beloved Son who shed his blood for strangers – Us.

How Do You  Make Everything You Touch Turn to Gold (Prosper)?

Can you flip a switch so that everything you touch turns to gold?

Gold is a good investment.  We sometimes relate prosperity with gold.

I  think that in a manner of speaking many of us want everything we touch to turn to gold because we want to invest wisely.

For the last year or so I’ve been captivated by a few verses in the Bible.

In Psalms 1:1-6  the Bible says that everything you do will prosper.

I love Psalms 1 and have even written about it at www.successlikeatree.com.

Verse 3 really captures my attention:

         He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Look at these verses in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 that talk about blessing everything you put your hands to:

¹ “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. ² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
³ “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
⁴ “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
⁵ “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
⁶ “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
⁷ “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
⁸ “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
⁹ “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. ¹⁰ Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. ¹¹ And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. ¹² The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. ¹³ And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. ¹⁴ So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Does the Bible really mean that whatever I touch and do will prosper?

If so, How do I get that type of prosperity to happen in my life?

In this article, I’m going to give you a few actions I’ve discovered along the way  to help answer that question. But first, let’s examine the topic of touching, doing, and receiving biblical blessings and prosperity.

Do You Really Desire that Everything You Touch Will Turn To Gold?

I want real prosperity. Not fools gold.

I need to state that prosperity or real life success is not merely measured in monetary or material value. If you have all the money in the world and aren’t healthy enough to enjoy your wealth you are not really successful.

I mentioned that Psalm 1:3 says that everything we touch shall prosper.  Many people have often wished for everything they touch to be turned to gold.

The Midas Touch

This is evident in the story of Midas. Midas or King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. This was called the Golden touch, or the Midas touch. Wikipedia

Midas wished for everything he touched to turn to gold thinking this would make him the richest man alive, not taking into consideration that the literally EVERYTHING he touched would be turned to gold as well.

Be Careful What You Wish For

The legend of Midas teaches a valuable and important lesson…. “be careful what you wish for”.

He soon recanted his wish seeing as he couldn’t even eat or drink without his food or water being turned into gold.

“I Wish I had 1000 Bucks”

Another funny example sometimes used in cartoons is a character wishing for “1000 bucks”. He got his wish when he was trampled by 1000 male deer.

Does Luck Have Anything To Do With Biblical Blessings or Prosperity?

Have you ever wondered why some people are just “lucky”?  I have.  Luck is a coveted commodity. I have an uncle who can walk by a slot machine and it’ll spit out coins at him.  He’s just lucky , It’s almost like a gift.  And many envy that gift.

Others seem to have no luck at all…

“If It wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all”

We’ve all heard that statement. While some are lucky and everything they touch seems to turn to gold others have the opposite of the “midas touch”:

The term mainly used is “reverse Midas touch”, which usually infers that everything turns to manure rather than gold. If you check here on this google search you will see that many people as well as the media use the term – “reverse Midas touch”

Another simpler one would be Sphinx’s luck, as to the Greeks the sphinx was considered a demon of bad luck, among other things.Pluto (roman) or Hades (greek)’s name was considered bad luck, so much so that it was rarely spoken. Excerpt from Yahoo Answers:

Some people are lucky and some are unlucky, but can you be unlucky and blessed at the same time?

I’d like to know the answer to this question and I bet you would too.  Uh oh,  there’s another factor in the equation. Is it ok to” bet” or for that matter “gamble”.  By the way, I’m taking the time to write this article so am I  gambling that you will enjoy this information so much so that you’ll bookmark my website? We’ll save the topic of betting and gambling for another article but I welcome your comments below.

So many people think things are about luck.

Allow me to disclose  that I’ve not always been “lucky”. In Fact, I don’t consider myself  lucky or even unlucky. I do consider myself to be blessed, prosperous and successful.

Actions for Getting Real Life Blessings

At this point in my life I’m really not interested in acquiring a lucky rabbits foot, finding an Aladdin’s lamp or even buying lottery tickets. I do, however want to receive God’s blessings.  So here’s a few really important actions on giving and receiving real life blessings…

1. Give It Away.

Be a Blessing.

You have to be a giver if you want to be a blessor.

That’s the first action I need to tell you. If you want to receive something, no matter what it is, the Biblical way to do this is to “give it away”.

Luke 6:38 say to give and it will be given back to you. If you give a little you’ll receive a little if you give more, you’ll get more.

If you need more money,  make sure your giving money to God and others. If you need  more love, love more. If you’re lonely, be a friend to others and if you want to receive more blessings, bless others.

Many people say, “I don’t like my church, it doesn’t minister to my needs”.

They’ll never be happy with any church because their attitude is wrong. Find out how you can minister,  NOT be ministered to,  and you’ll experience real joy and satisfaction.

So be a blessing and you’ll be blessed.

2. Use Your Hands

We’ve been discussing how to get everything you touch to prosper.

We touch with our hands.

Interestingly, we find that God does want to use our hands to bless and prosper us.

This is true literally as well as spiritually and emotionally. Let’s break down using our hands and touching others.

A. Hard Work

God doesn’t condone laziness: so this is the practical aspect of working or “the work of our hands”  which would solve most of the problems of welfare and freeloaders.

Proverbs 10:4

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

B. Reach Out And Touch Someone

There is a spiritual aspect to everything that you touch being blessed…

Blessings  are imparted and received through “touching” or “the laying on of hands”

 Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them…  Leviticus 9:22

Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray:  Matthew 19:13

C. The Laying on of Hands

As an evangelical Christian minister I’m well accustomed to addressing a needy persons request for prayer by first laying my hands on that individual and proclaiming a prayer of faith.  I do this for spiritual needs as well as emotional, financial and especially physical needs. Usually if I pray for someone’s arm to be healed, for example, I’ll place my hand on his arm while praying.

D.The Power of Touch

But the power of touch can be even more practical  and powerful in proven psychological tests that reveal how simply hugging someone or placing your hand on their shoulder can be encouraging  and uplifting to both individuals. Also consider the fact that in the United States and in many other Countries we greet one another with a hearty handshake to affirm our friendship  and we even close a deal on business agreements by the shaking of hands…. powerful.

Here’s What to Do Next

1. Let me know what you think about what you’ve read using the comment form below.

2.Subscribe  to this website to automatically receive my upcoming messages.

Our Story of Prosperity

In my next article you be able to continue reading about My Real Life Success Story | How Everything I Touch Prospers

Don’t forget to remember.

On a Tuesday, Sept 11^th, 2001 blood was shed in the United States. Today,  Sunday, 9/11/2011 marks the 10^th anniversary of the tragic event in New York City.

Watch this inspirational video:

10 Years – 1 Nation Under God

I spoke this message in Gulfway Church in Gulf Shores, Al. It was also missions Sunday and we celebrated the Lord’s supper together.

We may not understand it because we just don’t see things clearly right now. But one day we will see all things clearly…

I Cor 13:

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

“Out of sight, out of mind”

My name is Greg Nemer. As a missionary I’ve often been effected by these words,

“Out of sight, out of mind”.

The phrase doesn’t apply to me so much that people say that I’m out of my mind…although that might be the case, but because I’m a long distance out of the country I’m out of sight.

In other words, if you don’t see or hear from me you may not remember me.

“Out of sight, out of mind”.

Can these words effect you?

Deuteronomy 4:9 (NKJV) says..

Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,

Today is a day set aside for remembering. My hope is that the words I’m about to communicate will not depart from you heart.

Do You Remember 9-11?

Do you remember where you were?

I remember exactly where I was at the moment I saw the plane hit the towers on television.

Do you remember the details of the event? What can we learn from the events that took place?

Today I’d like to remind you, “Don’t forget to remember”….

Don’t Forget.

Forgetting is a problem.

Like so many others I sometimes have problems with my memory.

They say that old people are more likely to forget, but am THAT OLD!

I know, I forget. …

Uh, I forgot what I was about to say….

My memory problem is so bad that I decided to improve my memory.

I once heard that you could buy herbal supplements called ginseng to help you improve your memory.

I decided that was the way to go.

Once I made the decision, I did, however, run into a few problems…

First, I forgot all about my decision to purchase the herbs.

By the time I remembered that I was going to purchase herbal supplements I ran into another problem….

“Now what was the name of that herb?”

I forgot the name of the herbal pill.

Finally I remembered that the herb was called ginseng so I purchased it in the form of a tablet.

Once the tablets were in my home I promptly downed one and knew that I was well on my way to obtaining the memory of an elephant.

Problem is… I forgot where I pit the pills.

Once I found them I then forgot to take the ginseng tablets on a regular basis.

The result. The ginseng herbs never helped me because I forgot their name, then I forgot to purchase them then I forgot where I put them and I forgot to take them.

Many of you may have a similar problem.

Oh how easily we forget.

Perhaps we’ll remember to go out and buy some little yellow sticky’s to help us out.

Help with our Memory Problem:

In addition to taking ginseng tablets and using sticky notes there’s some more remedies to help us remember:

We write notes and then read them. I mentioned the yellow sticky’s, but we also place notes on bulletin boards or dry erase boards, on refrigerators or even on our hands and arms.

We use objects to help remind us of events such as yellow ribbons or we tie strings around our fingers.

Calendars give us a glimpse into the past in addition to alerting us to future events.

We use pictures and videos. When we see a picture, a sideshow, a video clip or a movie our memories are almost instantly jogged.

We hold memorial services. We don’t just do this when there is a tragedy or a death. Sometimes memorial services can more aptly be described as a celebration. A celebration of Life. Like a birthday party or a communion service.

The Holy Spirit helps us remember.

John 14:26 – The Holy Spirit brings everything Jesus has said to us back to our remembrance.

We have a solution for our memory problems, at least in spiritual things.

Why we Remember?

Why is it important to remember?

If you forget someones name it can be considered as an offense. It may be construed as if you weren’t paying attention, you don’t care, the person isn’t important to you or you don’t respect them. It may just be saying you’re a little dumb.

Why remember 9/11?

While this message is about remembering 9-11 I do want to state right up front that this is tough for me since I believe holding the pain of an event is a bad situation.

We should strive to turn our tragedy’s into triumphs.

Watch this video clip by for some good reasons to remember 9/11:

• To Honor
• To Value
• To Give Purpose to our Past
• To Bring Gratitude
• To Strengthen community through unity
• To provide perspective

Remembrance reignites hope

We remember because God is faithful, even in our darkest hours.

Lessons to learn form 9/11

Here’s a few ways to learn from this past tragedy and possibly gain some good out of what was meant for bad.

1. Live Each Day Like It’s Your Last

The 9/11 event was a shock to everyone. People got on the plane or went to work, not knowing it was their last day.

What about those who weren’t ready to meet God, or just had a fight with their family, or had all the regrets in their life.

Jesus talks about those who died at the tower…and how they weren’t any worse sinners than the rest…

In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus teaches Repent or Perish…

1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

2. In the world you will have tribulation, but we have overcome the world.

9/11 was a day of tribulation. Jesus said we would have tribulation in the world, but to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world.

Testing reveals your character (I’m one of the ones who doesn’t believe it “builds” character as that comes from the Word & the Spirit but it definitely “reveals” character).

A good example of this is to listen to the testimonials of people who talk about God helping them through the pain from 9/11.

3. Forget those things which are behind us.

Philippians 3:13

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

While it was a horrible event some people are allowing it to become their identify – “I’m a victim of 9/11.”

Never let what evil comes be a part of your identity.

It’s easy to keep a victim mentality no matter what happened to you, but FEAR

(terrorism) is a weapon of the enemy.

 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Perfect love casts out fear.  God leads us by love, not by fear.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

As I wrote this one, I really like the angle of comparing terrorists to the devil and how fear is his weapon.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

And here’s a valuable application….

We remember when innocent blood is shed

We remember 9/11 because innocent lives were taken. Blood was shed.

While I do not want to disrespect the tragic events that took place 10 years ago we do need to put something into perspective.

• Over 3000 lives were lost on 9/11/2001. However every single day in the United States many more unborn loose their lives in abortion daily. I’m told some of these abortions are pretty bloody. Innocent lives have been lost and are being lost every day.
• Many military members have given their lives as a sacrifice for our country. We should honor them
• Many civil workers such as law enforcement officers, policemen, and firemen put their lives in jeopardy daily. The Bible tells us to honor them as servants of the Lord.

Finally but Foremost, Jesus provided the Ultimate sacrifice. Jesus was innocent, yet HE shed His Blood…

Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

Why Jesus Shed His Blood

Hebrews 9:22
And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

What Should Our Response be when blood is shed?

1. Live in the light:

There1 John 1:17 says: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Others may have died but you should live a life that shows your respct for their sacrifices.

2. Remember:

There is no good excuse for not remembering. That’s why we practice the communion in the Christian Church.

Listen to these words as Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper…

Mathew 26: 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed[b] and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new[c] covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

 “I Forgot!”

Little Johnny was asked by his teacher, “Why didn’t you do your homework?”

Hi reply, “I forgot”

That excuse just doesn’t cut it. The teacher made him write on the chalk board 100 times,

“I will NOT forget”

Johnny would have been better off using the classic excuse, “I did it but the dog ate it”.

We shouldn’t forget historic events.

Forgetting to take out the trash is one thing but experience tells me that we should never forget important or historic events like birthdays, or anniversary’s (November 7, 1992- Happy Anniversary Ana).

We have Memorial days, Christmas and even 9/11,

I know we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter but allow me to input that little Easter bunnies have nothing to do with the greatest event that ever took place on the face of the earth.

The greatest historical event of all time should NEVER be forgotten. The Day Jesus shed His blood for us and Rose again after 3 days to provide everlasting life for those who believe in Him.

How To Remember

Remember, we honor and respect, we provide value, we grow and we gain purpose and perspective through remembering.

Today is Memory Sunday.

It’s a time designated to remembering. It’s a day to say,” I will not forget.”

Let’s remember these 3 important events and see if we can gain value through remembering these important occasions….

1. The events of 9-11

Remember 9/11.

Do you remember where you were?

Gain value through Support of our Country and the soldiers who defend it. Vote for for political leaders and important laws. Gain a sense of community and participate in Church events that effect your city or community.

2. Eternal death. This event took place when your Mother gave birth to you.

The Bible says that you were born a sinner. Without Jesus your destiny is eternal damnation.

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ

Jesus gave his life for sinners. He shed his blood for you.

I’m a missionary. I go into anther country because there are lost people that need to know about this solution to their problem of eternal death. There is hope for the sinner.

We should remember Missionaries. Support them by praying for them and communicating with them. Give your finances and love them.

But remember, You’re also a missionary. You may not travel to another country but you can still “go” into all the world and preach the Gospel by supporting missionaries. And you can still proclaim the good news to those around you as Christ has commanded.

Here’s two ways to participate in Missions today.

1. Participate in our annual Christmas Gifts to Chiapas Event. More details at Missions With Purpose.com
2. Support a Missionary financially.

3. Remember Christ’s sacrifice.

Do you remember where you were?

Do you remember your life as a sinner? How has your life changed?

Have you allowed Christ to help you change?

Eternal Life- The Cross, 2000 years ago

Celebrate Communion

In the Institution of the Lord’s Supper Jesus says “This do in Remembrance of me”

1Cor 11:
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Now it’s time to not only remember but also to Examine Yourself…..

I Cor 11:
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[d] of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[e] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[f] body.

30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

A Closing Reminder

Are you a “forgetter” or a “Rememberer”? Have you become complacent or are you in active service for your Lord?” Is Jesus out of sight and out of your mind or is the Cross before you and your meditations on God’s word and your relationship with Christ?

Today I’d like to remind you… Don’t forget.

Even if you have to tie a string around your finger or place a WWJD bracelet on your wrist.

Don’t forget.

Jesus can turn tragedy in triumph. Today is not a sad day or a day of mourning. It’s a celebration of New life in Christ.

I Love Christmas, Easter (Resurrection Sunday), and Thanksgiving days. Some people say that it’s too bad that these days only come around one a year.

I agree. Although these days are celebrated only once a year I think that we should live our lives in a daily celebration of victory giving Jesus thanks every day of our lives.

My challenge to you is to make every day a day to remember. Serve Christ one day at a time and give him your all just as He gave his all (His Life) for you.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5

There is music playing in the City of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas. Call it revival or at least call it special. It’s a grand concert with over 150 Pastors from local churches actually coming together in unity and meeting monthly in large gatherings. For the past few months, Pastor Jorge, whom I work with has been leading these mass gatherings in the city’s Municipal Auditorium called the Polyforum.

We’ve had some special guests who ministered. Among these were many Christian musicians, Jesse & Laura Rojas, Pastor Bruce Dumond and… our daughter Cristi.

Yes, Cristi has ministered in the Polyforum playing the guitar and in song a few times.

One evening as she ministered using a soundtrack Cristi had to face a challenge- As she was singing, the music stopped.

My question to you is “What do you do when the music stops?”

Perhaps you’re experiencing a time of difficulty in your life.

It may be because of family situations, physical hardships or even financial difficulties.

The music has stopped right in the middle of your life. God has become silent. You feel as though you’re alone. Circumstances are not in your favor.

We can tell you from experience that times like these are not easy. Over the past few years, our family has experienced times when the music stopped.

I’m not talking about a soundtrack. I’m talking about life’s circumstances. We were faced with some difficult obstacles while finishing up our daughters adoption and United States visa requirements.

As I tell you about our small trials I realize you may be facing larger obstacles in your life.

So what should you do when the music stops?

“Keep on Singing”

That’s what Cristi did. Right in the middle of the song the soundtrack stopped working. . It was her first big debut in front of 1000’s of people but she instantly felt all alone.

She was instantly faced with a choice… stop singing when the music stopped or keep on singing even though things were tough.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Philippians 1:6

Our daughter did the difficult thing. She confronted the challenge without missing a beat. She sang acapella finishing the song with no music in the background.

Our family has now passed through an unpleasant chapter in our lives. Things were not always easy but we thank God that we didn’t give up. Our tenacity paid off. Cristi now has her U.S. residency and this month we are all going to the USA to finish her citizenship.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

We would like to encourage you not to give up.

Keep on singing. There is hope.

When you realize that life’s obstacles are actually opportunities and that you are not alone you may be encouraged as we were.

Hope and perseverance doesn’t change the change the immediate circumstances, but it does give you strength and grace to keep-on-keeping- on.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

You’re Going a Long Way in Life

I will never forget the words I heard spoken from one of the members of the sound team as Cristi left the stage in the Polyforum…

“I really like that girl, not only can she sing, she doesn’t give up. She’s going to go a long way in her music career”

Because Cristi didn’t give up, the soundtrack failure actually came out in her favor. Cristi has potential as a music minister.

More importantly… you have a great potential in life. Don’t give up. You’re a superstar in God’s eyes.

You’re going to go a long way … even if the music has temporally stopped.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Everyone is faced with choices in life. We all have that in common.

There is another fact of life we have in common..at some point in our lives….

we will all face adversity.

It’s not a matter of if but…when.

You’ll hear me me give  the same sermon over and over again…. the difference between our success or failure is not chance, but choice.

Because when adversity strikes, it’s not what happens that will determine our destiny; it’s how we react to what happens.

That’s what this 3 minute inspirational movie is all about. So just sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy…

Choose to Finish Strong in The Face of Adversity- click on the Image to view the 3 minute movie

Finish Strong

Success is not an accident.

You’ve got to put something in before you expect to get something out.

Watch this video by Zig Ziglar to see how if you pump hard enough you will receive the reward:

Have you ever used an old fashioned water pump. You have to put water in before you get water out. You’ve got to prime the pump.

You’ve got to work first before you receive a reward.

You can’t say, reward me now, I’ll produce later.

How much pumping are you going to do for a drink of water?

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.. until you can learn to do it well.

True Success is worth working for.

How much pumping/work are you willing to do to receive true success?